Celebrating 10 Days of Prayer

Day 11—Life More Abundant Suggested Format for the Final Sabbath   Download PDF Version This final Sabbath should be a time of great rejoicing in all that God has done for you and your church during the Ten Days of Prayer. Design your day to celebrate God's goodness and mighty power. Consider how you have experienced the outpouring of the Holy Spirit during the past ten days. This Sabbath is an opportunity to rejoice in what He has done, is doing, and will do.   Theme Text: John 10:7-16 So Jesus said again, "I am telling you the truth: I am the gate for the sheep. All others who came before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep did not listen to them. I am the gate. Those who come in by me will be saved; they will come in and go out and find pasture. The thief comes only in order to steal, kill, and destroy. I have come in order that you might have life—life in all its fullness. "I am the good shepherd, who is willing to die for the sheep. When the hired man, who is not a shepherd and does not own the sheep, sees a wolf coming, he leaves the sheep and runs away; so the wolf snatches the sheep and scatters them. The hired man runs away because he is only a hired man and does not care about the sheep. I am the good shepherd. As the Father knows me and I know the Father, in the same way I know my sheep and they know me. And I am willing to die for them. There are other sheep which belong to me that are not in this sheep pen. I must bring them, too; they will listen to my voice, and they will become one flock with one shepherd." (GNT) The needs of each congregation are unique, so please work with local leaders to develop a specific plan for your church. Some suggested items to include in your final Sabbath church service:   Biblical Teaching on John 10:7-16: This could be a sermon or homily, or the passage could be used as a basis for weaving together stories of how God has worked during the Ten Days of Prayer. Testimonies: Include ample time for testimonies of answered prayer. Those who have participated in the Ten Days of Prayer should have many stories they can share with the congregation, but encourage them to be brief so that everyone can participate. Others may also have stories. It might be good to have some testimonies pre-planned, in addition to having an open sharing time. Prayer Time: Invite the whole congregation to join in a time of united prayer. You could lead the congregation through an interactive prayer similar to what you have used throughout the week. You can pray over a specific passage together. This could be done with people in small groups or with everyone praying together. Another option would be to have several different kinds of prayer throughout the service—praying the Scriptures, small-group, individual, congregational, silent, and so on. Singing: This is a day to rejoice in all God has done, and music is a great way to celebrate. If there is a song that has become a theme song for your group, make sure to sing that with the whole congregation. Future Plans: If God has led you toward a special outreach or ministry through the Ten Days of Prayer, let your church family know about your plans and invite them to join in. Children/Youth: A children's story about prayer would certainly be appropriate. Also, if you have had any children or youth involved with the regular prayer meetings, have them share their testimonies and/or lead out in a prayer time. Flexibility: Make sure to be flexible in your plans so that you can follow the Holy Spirit's leading throughout the service. Copyright © 2016 Ministerial Association, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Ministerial Association General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 Add us to your address book

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Day 10 – Christ Reflected in the Neighborhood

Day 10—Christ Reflected in the Neighborhood Download PDF Version "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8 Suggested Format for the Prayer Time Praise (approximately 10 minutes)   Begin your prayer time by praising God that He is kindness, goodness, and gentleness. Praise God that He chose to use you to reach out to souls that thirst for the water of life. Confession and Claiming Victory Over Sin (approximately 5 minutes) Ask God to show you which sins to confess openly and which to confess privately. Claim His victory over those sins. Pray for forgiveness for times when you were ashamed to share your faith with others. Ask God to give you courage and love through Christ abiding in you. Thank God that He forgives you according to 1 John 1:9 Supplication and Intercession (approximately 35 minutes) Ask God to give you a burden for souls and a love for His lost children. Ask God to put in your neighbors' hearts a hunger and thirst for Him. Ask the Lord to fill you with His Holy Spirit and to teach you how to reach your neighbors through acts of love, by ministering to their needs, by winning their confidence, and by inviting them to follow Jesus. Pray that you experience the joy of sharing Christ. Pray for an attractive, Christ-like character that will draw people to Jesus. Pray that God will teach you how to point people to Jesus, not to yourself. Pray for the increased use of Christian literature by all church members and for increased emphasis on literature evangelism, both through hard copy and electronic formats. Pray for renewed emphasis on the tremendous importance of attending Sabbath School, which focuses on fellowship, mission, Bible study, and local outreach. Pray for an increased emphasis on small-group outreach, so that all members are participating in personal witnessing and proclaiming God's great truth in these last days. Pray that church leaders (your local pastor, conference, union, division, and General Conference leaders) can be a good witness to their neighbors. Mission to the Cities—Pray for the Inter-European Division and the cities they have chosen to work in: Geneva, Prague, Vienna. Lift up also the Middle East and North Africa Union and the 43 cities they are planning to enter in the next four to five years. Pray for the church members working in these cities. Ask God for boldness to witness for Him in every circumstance. Pray for a heightened focus on Seventh-day Adventist media outreach, leading to a massive, integrated evangelistic witness around the world. Pray that the seven (or more) people on your list will see their need and open their hearts to the Holy Spirit. Pray for any personal needs you have. Thanksgiving (approximately 10 minutes) Thank God that He is working in the lives of your family, friends, and neighbors. Thank God that He has people in every city who are wistfully looking to heaven! Thank God that He is working in the hearts of all the people you have been praying for. Suggested Songs to Sing "Live Out Thy Life Within Me" (SDA Hymnal #316); "Give of Your Best to the Master" (SDA Hymnal #572);  "Let Your Heart Be Broken" (SDA Hymnal #575); "Seek Ye First"; "This Little Light of Mine" (SDA Hymnal #580); "Rescue the Perishing" (SDA Hymnal #367); "Seeking the Lost" (SDA Hymnal #373).   Christ Reflected in the Neighborhood "But you shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth." Acts 1:8 The children of God are called to be representatives of Christ, showing forth the goodness and mercy of the Lord. As Jesus has revealed to us the true character of the Father, so we are to reveal Christ to a world that does not know His tender, pitying love. "As Thou hast sent Me into the world," said Jesus, "even so have I also sent them into the world." "I in them, and Thou in Me; . . . that the world may know that Thou hast sent Me." John 17:18, 23. The apostle Paul says to the disciples of Jesus, "Ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ," "known and read of all men." 2 Corinthians 3:3, 2. In every one of His children, Jesus sends a letter to the world. If you are Christ's follower, He sends in you a letter to the family, the village, the street, where you live. Jesus, dwelling in you, desires to speak to the hearts of those who are not acquainted with Him. Perhaps they do not read the Bible, or do not hear the voice that speaks to them in its pages; they do not see the love of God through His works. But if you are a true representative of Jesus, it may be that through you they will be led to understand something of His goodness and be won to love and serve Him. (Steps to Christ, p. 115) Visit your neighbors and show an interest in the salvation of their souls. Arouse every spiritual energy to action. Tell those whom you visit that the end of all things is at hand. The Lord Jesus Christ will open the door of their hearts and will make upon their minds lasting impressions. Even while engaged in their daily employment, God's people can lead others to Christ. And while doing this they will have the precious assurance that the Saviour is close beside them. They need not think that they are left to depend on their own feeble efforts. Christ will give them words to speak that will refresh and encourage and strengthen poor, struggling souls who are in darkness. Their own faith will be strengthened as they realize that the Redeemer's promise is being fulfilled. Not only are they a blessing to others, but the work they do for Christ brings blessing to themselves. (Counsels for the Church, p. 62) Your influence reaches the soul; you touch not a wire but that vibrates back to God. . . . It is your duty to be Christians in the highest sense of the word—"Christlike." It is through the unseen lines that attract you to other minds with which you are brought in contact that may, if you are in constant connection with God, leave impressions that will make you a savor of life unto life. Otherwise, if you are selfish, if you are self-exalted, if you are worldly-minded, no matter what your position, no matter what your experience has been, or how much you know, if you are not having the law of kindness on your lips, sweet fragrance of love springing from your heart, you can do nothing as it ought to be done. (My Live Today, p. 178) If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his brother also. (1 John 4:20, 21, KJV) The true, honest expression of a sister, or brother, or friend, given in genuine simplicity, has power to open the door of hearts which need the fragrance of Christlike words and the simple, delicate touch of the spirit of Christ's love. (My Life Today, p. 178) All around us are heard the wails of a world's sorrow. On every hand are the needy and distressed. It is ours to aid in relieving and softening life's hardships and misery. The wants of the soul, only the love of Christ can satisfy. If Christ is abiding in us, our hearts will be full of divine sympathy. The sealed fountains of earnest, Christlike love will be unsealed. (Sons and Daughters of God, p. 151) What sweetness flowed from [Christ's] very presence! The same spirit will be revealed in His children. Those with whom Christ dwells will be surrounded with a divine atmosphere. Their white robes of purity will be fragrant with perfume from the garden of the Lord. Their faces will reflect light from His, brightening the path for stumbling and weary feet. (The Adventist Home, p. 424) Questions for Personal Reflection 1. Do you desire to be filled with the love of Christ and filled with His compassion for a dying world? 2. What are some practical ways in which you can witness in your neighborhood? Copyright © 2016 Ministerial Association, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Ministerial Association General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 Add us to your address book

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Day 9 – Christ Reflected in the Church

Day 9—Christ Reflected in the Church Download PDF Version "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." John 17:23, KJV Suggested Format for the Prayer Time Praise (approximately 10 minutes) Begin your prayer time by praising God that He is joy, peace, and patience, etc. Praise God that He has called His remnant church to be a light to the world. Praise God that He will finish the work He has started in the church. Confession and Claiming Victory Over Sin (approximately 5 minutes) Ask God to show you the sins that you need to confess privately. Claim His victory over those sins. Ask God for forgiveness for times when you allowed envy, suspicion, or faultfinding toward your brothers in your heart. Pray for a new heart, filled with love and compassion. Thank God that He forgives you according to 1 John 1:9. Supplication and Intercession (approximately 35 minutes) Ask God to prepare your heart to receive the Holy Spirit. Pray for your family to be united and that peace and love would rule our churches. Ask God to purify the church so visitors will sense the presence of the Holy Spirit. Pray that church leaders (your local pastor, conference, union, division, and General Conference leaders) will work in love, compassion, and unity to finish the work Christ gave us to do. Pray for worldwide unity in every congregation and church entity, based on respect for God's Word, humble prayer, the Holy Spirit's power, respect for accepted church policy/process, and full engagement in the mission of the church. Pray for humility in our lives so we will be united in our submission to God's leading and the process of the church to make commonly agreed-upon decisions and accept whatever is voted at the General Conference Session level. Pray that we will devote more of our time to eternal values through Bible study and prayer, allowing God to fully direct His people according to His will and not our will. This will help keep us close to God and allow the power of the Holy Spirit to reverse trends of worldliness that threaten God's church and our daily lives. Mission to the Cities—Pray for the East-Central Africa Division and the cities they have chosen to work in: Kinshasa, Dar-es-Salaam, Addis Ababa, Kampala, Kananga, Lodwar, Kigali, Lubumbashi, Goma, Magara, Juba. Pray for the strongholds of Satan to be broken and relationships with Christ to be established. Pray for the protection of our young people and all of us from ever-increasing worldly influences. Pray that we will focus on the Word of God and service to others. Pray that the local churches will sponsor young people in mission outreach and service opportunities. Pray that the seven (or more) people on your list will see their need and open their hearts to the Holy Spirit. Pray for any personal needs you have. Thanksgiving (approximately 10 minutes) Thank God for what He has done in His church and will do through the church. Thank God that He is willing to cleanse, purify, and lead the church. Thank God that Jesus prayed for the church that we might be one. Thank God that He is working on the hearts of the people you are praying for. Suggested Songs to Sing "Built on the Rock" (SDA Hymnal #347); "The Church Has One Foundation" (SDA Hymnal #348); "I Surrender All" (SDA Hymnal #309);  "I Would Be Like Jesus" (SDA Hymnal #309); "I Want Jesus to Walk With Me" (SDA Hymnal #624). Christ Reflected in the Church "I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me." John 17:23, KJV  There is nothing that can so weaken the influence of the church as the lack of love. . . . The people of the world are looking to us to see what our faith is doing for our characters and lives. They are watching to see if it is having a sanctifying effect on our hearts, if we are becoming changed into the likeness of Christ. They are ready to discover every defect in our lives, every inconsistency in our actions. Let us give them no occasion to reproach our faith. It is not the opposition of the world that will most endanger us; it is the evil cherished right in our midst that works our most grievous disaster. It is the unconsecrated lives of halfhearted professors that retard the work of the truth and bring darkness upon the church of God. There is no surer way of weakening ourselves in spiritual things than to be envious, suspicious of one another, full of faultfinding and evil surmising. . . . When you are associated together, be guarded in your words. . . . If the love of the truth is in your heart you will talk of the truth. You will talk of the blessed hope that you have in Jesus. If you have love in your heart you will seek to establish and build up your brother in the most holy faith. If a word is dropped that is detrimental to the character of your friend or brother, do not encourage this evil speaking. It is the work of the enemy. Kindly remind the speaker that the Word of God forbids that kind of conversation. We are to empty the heart of everything that defiles the soul temple, that Christ may dwell within. Our Redeemer has told us how we may reveal Him to the world. If we cherish His spirit, if we manifest His love to others, if we guard one another's interests, if we are kind, patient, forbearing, the world will have an evidence by the fruits we bear that we are the children of God. It is the unity in the church that enables it to exert a conscious influence upon unbelievers and worldlings. (That I May Know Him, p. 153) By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another. (John 13:35, KJV) The religion of Christ means more than the forgiveness of sin; it means that sin is taken away, and that the vacuum is filled with the Spirit. It means that the mind is divinely illumined, that the heart is emptied of self, and filled with the presence of Christ. When this work is done for church members, the church will be a living, working church. (Ye Shall Receive Power, p. 318) When we will bring our hearts into unity with Christ, and our lives into harmony with His work, the Spirit that descended on the day of Pentecost will fall on us. We shall be strong in Christ's strength, and be filled with the fullness of God. . . . We shall give ourselves to Christ, making an unreserved consecration of all our property, all our capacities, to His service. We shall make good our profession of faith; we shall serve God by serving those who need our help. Then we shall let our light shine forth in good works. (The Review and Herald, Dec. 16, 1884) As the disciples, filled with the power of the Spirit, went forth to proclaim the gospel, so God's servants are to go forth today. Every one on whom is shining the light of present truth is to be stirred with compassion for those who are in darkness. From all believers light is to be reflected in clear, distinct rays. A work similar to that which the Lord did through his delegated messengers after the day of Pentecost He is waiting to do today. At this time, when the end of all things is at hand, the zeal of the church should exceed even that of the early church. Zeal for the glory of God moved the disciples to bear witness to the truth with mighty power. Should not this zeal fire our hearts with a longing to tell the story of redeeming love, of Christ and Him crucified? (The Review and Herald, Jan. 26, 1905) Questions for Personal Reflection 1. How can you, a member of Christ's living church, encourage unity and love for your brothers? 2. Consider prayerfully whether you need to forgive, apologize to, or reconcile with anyone in or outside the church.   Copyright © 2016 Ministerial Association, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Ministerial Association General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 Add us to your address book

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Day 8 – Christ Reflected in the Family

Day 8—Christ Reflected in the Family Download PDF Version "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God." 1 John 4:7 Suggested Format for the Prayer Time Praise (approximately 10 minutes)   Begin your prayer time by praising God for who He is (His character). He is gracious, etc. Praise God that He is the Father of the human family on earth. Praise God that He wants the human family to reflect His beauty and character. Confession and Claiming Victory Over Sin (approximately 5 minutes) Ask God to show you which sins to confess privately. Claim His victory over those sins. Ask God for forgiveness for times that you did not reflect God in your family. Ask God for forgiveness for times that you did not honor and respect your parents and siblings. Thank God that He forgives you according to 1 John 1:9. Supplication and Intercession (approximately 35 minutes) Ask God to fill your heart with the Holy Spirit and make you a living example to your family. Ask God that each member of your family be drawn closer to Christ. Ask God to protect Adventist families from the attacks of the devil, including the families in your local church. Ask God for healing where this is needed. Pray that church leaders (your local pastor, conference, union, division, and General Conference leaders) and their families will reflect Christ to the world. Pray for a wonderful harvest of souls resulting from seeds planted during the Great Controversy distribution project in all its various formats. Pray for parents to reflect Christ to their children and raise them for the Kingdom. Pray that God will give a full understanding of Christ's method (comprehensive health ministry), allowing all church members to meet people's needs and follow Christ's pattern of service to others. Pray for the united evangelistic and witnessing activities of every Seventh-day Adventist man, woman, and child around the world. Pray that we are empowered by the Holy Spirit as we submit to His leading in our lives. Beseech the Lord on behalf of Seventh-day Adventist families, that they may be models of how Christ can bring peace and love into homes, removing any abuse and stress through the sanctifying power of Christ's righteousness and pointing to Christ's soon return and the ultimate joining of God's eternal family in heaven. Mission to the Cities—Pray for the Euro-Asia Division and the cities they are working in: Moscow, Kiev, Kishinev, Donetsk, Kharkov, Minsk, St. Petersburg, Novosibirsk, Krasnoyarsk, Khabarovsk, Rostov-on-Don, Tbilisi, Yerevan, and Almaty. Pray for the thousands of outreach activities and reaping events currently taking place. Pray that the seven (or more) people on your list will see their need and open their hearts for the Holy Spirit. Pray for any personal needs you have. Thanksgiving (approximately 10 minutes) Thank God that He is working on your family members' hearts. Thank God that He is willing to cleanse, purify, and abide in you and your family Thank God that Jesus gave us an example of how to honor our parents and love our siblings. Suggested Songs to Sing "Happy the Home" (SDA Hymnal #655); "Lord Bless Our Homes" (SDA Hymnal #654); "Love at Home" (SDA Hymnal #652); " 'Tis Love That Makes Us Happy" (SDA Hymnal #579).   Christ Reflected in the Family "Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God." 1 John 4:7 The religion of Christ will lead us to do all the good possible, to both high and low, rich and poor, happy and oppressed. But especially will it lead to the manifestation of kindness in our own family. It will be manifested by acts of courtesy and love to father and mother, husband, wife, and child. We are to look to Jesus, to catch His Spirit, to live in the light of His goodness and love, and to reflect His glory upon others. (My Life Today, p. 200) Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. (James 4:7, KJV) If you will give yourself fully to Jesus He will create in you an intense desire for the friendship of God, and you will have deep longings to reflect the goodness and the love of Jesus in your life and character to your family and to those who know not the love of God. By cultivating patience, meekness, forbearance, by showing respect and rendering obedience to your father and mother as it is fit in the Lord, you will be giving testimony in your everyday life that the truth has power to sanctify the character. (Manuscript Releases, vol. 4, p. 194) It is a hard matter to adjust family difficulties, even when husband and wife seek to make a fair and just settlement in regard to their several duties, if they have failed to submit the heart to God. (The Adventist Home, p. 119) He that believeth on me, as the scripture hath said, out of his belly shall flow rivers of living water. (John 7:38, KJV) If the will of God is fulfilled, the husband and wife will respect each other and cultivate love and confidence. Anything that would mar the peace and unity of the family should be firmly repressed, and kindness and love should be cherished. He who manifests the spirit of tenderness, forbearance, and love will find that the same spirit will be reflected upon him. Where the Spirit of God reigns, there will be no talk of unsuitability in the marriage relation. If Christ indeed is formed within, the hope of glory, there will be union and love in the home. Christ abiding in the heart of the wife will be at agreement with Christ abiding in the heart of the husband. They will be striving together for the mansions Christ has gone to prepare for those who love Him. (The Adventist Home, p. 120) We must have the Spirit of God, or we can never have harmony in the home. The wife, if she has the spirit of Christ, will be careful of her words; she will control her spirit, she will be submissive, and yet will not feel that she is a bondslave, but a companion to her husband. If the husband is a servant of God, he will not lord it over his wife; he will not be arbitrary and exacting. We cannot cherish home affection with too much care; for the home, if the Spirit of the Lord dwells there, is a type of heaven. . . . If one errs, the other will exercise Christlike forbearance and not draw coldly away. (The Adventist Home, p. 118) If you have high aims, and purpose to reach an elevated standard, the home life is the very best discipline you can have. If you are wrong at home, you will be wrong in every aim and endeavor. Begin there to perfect a character that God will approve, that will make you a blessing at home; and when away from home, you will not fail to be a blessing to those you are brought in contact with. Religion practiced in the home will reflect beyond the home circle. (The Youth's Instructor, April 21, 1886, par. 7) Questions for Personal Reflection 1. How can you lead your family by example to a life more abundant in Christ? 2. Have you always been a good family member? Do you need make some things right? Do you need to make your family more of a priority instead of other things? Copyright © 2016 Ministerial Association, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Ministerial Association General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 Add us to your address book

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Day 7 – A Life That Blesses Others

Day 7—A Life That Blesses Others Download PDF Version "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." John 7:38 Suggested Format for the Prayer Time Praise (approximately 10 minutes) Begin your prayer time by praising God for who He is (His character). He is an eternal God, a patient and loving God. He is our strength (Ps. 27:1), and He is our resting place (Jer. 50:6). Praise God that He is willing to use us to bless others, even though we have flaws and make mistakes. Praise God that it is not we ourselves but Christ living in us that touches and blesses lives. Confession and Claiming Victory Over Sin (approximately 5 minutes) Ask God to show you which sins to confess openly and which to confess privately. Claim His victory over those sins. Ask God for forgiveness for times when your life was not a blessing to others. Ask God for forgiveness for times when you were more concerned about being successful than serving Him. Thank God that He forgives you according to 1 John 1:9. Supplication and Intercession (approximately 35 minutes) Pray that God will give you faith even when the devil tries to discourage you from ministering to others. Ask God to give you a burden for souls and a love for His lost children. Pray for an attractive, Christ-like character that will draw people to Jesus. Pray for every member to feel a burden for soul winning and realize that heaven asks everyone to follow in Christ's steps by sharing their personal faith with God's guidance. Pray for the use of every appropriate social media format to share the three angels' messages in a creative and fresh manner with the busy people of today. Pray for increased participation in evangelistic outreach by all church members and institutions as they support the ongoing mission of the church. Mission to the Cities—Pray for the Inter-American Division and the cities they are trying to win for Christ: Mexico City, Caracas, Bogatá, Nassau, Belize City, Georgetown, Cali, Cayenne, Guatemala City, Quetzaltenango, Port-au-Prince, Tegucigalpa, Mérida, Puerto Rico (entire island), Santiago de los Caballeros, and Maracaibo. Pray that members can develop strategies for reaching these large cities. Pray for the establishment of thousands of "centers of influence" (churches, health centers, daycare centers, literature centers, community outreach centers, youth centers, vegetarian restaurants, clinics, and many more), especially in large cities around the world, and pray that these centers make a huge difference in people's lives as they experience God's truth through Christian service. Pray that the seven (or more) people on your list will see their need and open their hearts for the Holy Spirit. Pray for any personal needs you have. Thanksgiving (approximately 10 minutes) Thank God that He wants to use us and not the angels to be co-laborers with Him to bless others. Thank God that Jesus set an example for us of how we can be a blessing to others. Thank God that He is sending the Holy Spirit to work on the hearts of the people you are praying for. Suggested Songs to Sing "God is so Good"; "Give of Your Best to the Master" (SDA Hymnal #572); "I'll Go Where You Want Me to Go" (SDA Hymnal #573); "So Send I You" (SDA Hymnal #578); "Let Your Heart Be Broken" (SDA Hymnal #575); "I Love Thee" (SDA Hymnal #236); "Far and Near the Fields Are Teeming" (SDA Hymnal #358). A Life That Blesses Others "He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water." John 7:38 Everyone in whose heart Christ abides, everyone who will show forth His love to the world, is a worker together with God for the blessing of humanity. As he receives from the Saviour grace to impart to others, from his whole being flows forth the tide of spiritual life. (The Acts of the Apostles, p. 13) The humblest and poorest of the disciples of Jesus can be a blessing to others. They may not realize that they are doing any special good, but by their unconscious influence they may start waves of blessing that will widen and deepen, and the blessed results they may never know until the day of final reward. They do not feel or know that they are doing anything great. They are not required to weary themselves with anxiety about success. They have only to go forward quietly, doing faithfully the work that God's providence assigns, and their life will not be in vain. Their own souls will be growing more and more into the likeness of Christ; they are workers together with God in this life, and are thus fitting for the higher work and the unshadowed joy of the life to come. (Steps to Christ, p. 83) The Lord is calling upon us to awake to a realization of our responsibilities. God has given to every man his work. Each one may live a life of usefulness. Let us learn all that we can and then be a blessing to others by imparting a knowledge of truth. Let every one do according to his several ability, willingly helping to bear the burdens. (Counsels on Health, p. 218) Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. (2 Tim. 2:15, KJV) You may be a great blessing to others if you will give yourself unreservedly to the Lord's service. Power from on high will be given you if you will take your position on the Lord's side. Through Christ you can escape the corruption that is in the world through lust, and be a noble example of what He can do for those who cooperate with Him. (Counsels to Parents, Teachers, and Students, p. 489) God desires men and women to live the higher life. He gives them the boon of life, not to enable them merely to gain wealth, but to improve their higher powers by doing the work He has entrusted to mankind—the work of searching out and relieving the necessities of their fellowmen. Man should work not for his own selfish interest but for the interest of every one about him, blessing others by his influence and kindly deeds. This purpose of God is exemplified in Christ's life. (Mind, Character, and Personality, vol. 2, p. 645) But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble. (James 4:6, KJV) When we are humble and contrite we stand where God can and will manifest Himself to us. He is well pleased when we urge past mercies and blessings as a reason why He should bestow on us greater blessings. He will more than fulfill the expectations of those who trust fully in Him. The Lord Jesus knows just what His children need, how much divine power we will appropriate for the blessing of humanity; and He bestows upon us all that we will employ in blessing others and ennobling our own souls. (Help in Daily Living, p. 61) Those who truly love God will desire so to improve the talents that He has given them, that they may be a blessing to others. And by and by the gates of heaven will be thrown wide open to admit them, and from the lips of the King of Glory the benediction will fall upon their ear like richest music, "Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world" (Matthew 25:34). (In Heavenly Places, p. 367) Questions for Personal Reflection 1. What small things can you do to be a blessing to those around you? 2. Many times it is easier to be a blessing to people who are far away than to your own family. How can you be a blessing to those closest to you? Copyright © 2016 Ministerial Association, All rights reserved. Our mailing address is: Ministerial Association General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists 12501 Old Columbia Pike Silver Spring, MD 20904 Add us to your address book

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